The first name William
A boy’s name from Norman meaning “will”, “helmet”, “to choose”.
Pronounced /ˈwɪl.i.əm/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Norman origin
William means “will”, “helmet”, “to choose” in Norman.
From Middle English William, from Anglo-Norman Willame, from Old High German Willahelm, from Proto-Germanic *Wiljahelmaz (> Latin Gulielmus), from Proto-Germanic *wiljô (“will”) + *helmaz (“helmet”), ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European roots *welh₁- (“to choose, wish, want”) and *ḱel- (“to cover, conceal, save”), respectively. Cognate with Dutch Willem, German Wilhelm, etc.; cognate borrowings outside of Germanic include Guillaume and Guillermo.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 1,456 boys were named William, making it the 25th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 1999, with 5,287 births (#10).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare William with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named William at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 10,545 boys born in the United States were named William, the 9th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1947, when 67,002 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
William in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled William in Tagalog too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named William
2,892 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- William ShakespeareEnglish playwright and poet (1564–1616)
- William BlakeEnglish poet and artist (1757–1827)
- William FaulknerAmerican writer (1897-1962)
- William Howard Taft27th President of the United States from 1909 to 1913 (1857–1930)
- William WordsworthEnglish Romantic poet (1770–1850)
- William JamesAmerican philosopher, psychologist, and pragmatist (1842–1910)
- William GoldingBritish novelist, poet, playwright and Nobel Prize for Literature laureate (1911–1993)
- William Somerset MaughamEnglish playwright and author (1874–1965)
- William HerschelGerman-born British astronomer and composer (1738–1822)
- William Henry BraggBritish scientist (1862–1942)
- William Ewart GladstoneBritish Liberal prime minister (1809–1898)
- William Thomson, 1st Baron KelvinBritish physicist and engineer (1824–1907)
Questions
- What does the name William mean?
- William means “will”, “helmet”, “to choose” in Norman.
- What is the origin of the name William?
- From Middle English William, from Anglo-Norman Willame, from Old High German Willahelm, from Proto-Germanic *Wiljahelmaz (> Latin Gulielmus), from Proto-Germanic *wiljô (“will”) + *helmaz (“helmet”), ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European roots *welh₁- (“to choose, wish, want”) and *ḱel- (“to…
- How popular is the name William?
- In 2025, 1,456 boys born in England and Wales were named William, ranking 25th. Its peak was 1999, with 5,287 births.
- What are nicknames for William?
- Common nicknames for William include Bill, Billy, Will, Willie, Willy, Wills.
- Is William a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 4,215,725 US babies named William since 1880 were boys.
- When was William most popular?
- 1947 in the United States, when 67,002 babies were named William, its highest rank at 4th.
- How do you pronounce William?
- William is /ˈwɪl.i.əm/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of William?
- Williamina.
- Is William also a surname?
- Yes. William is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.